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<h1><a href="https://archiveofourown.org/works/28809417">The Perfect Payback</a> by <a class='authorlink' href='https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rei382/pseuds/Rei382'>Rei382</a></h1>

<table class="full">

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Drarropoly 2020 [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Category:</b></td><td>Harry Potter - J. K. Rowling</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Genre:</b></td><td>6th year, Canon Divergence, M/M, moaning myrtle pov</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Language:</b></td><td>English</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Status:</b></td><td>Completed</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Published:</b></td><td>2021-01-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Updated:</b></td><td>2021-01-17</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Packaged:</b></td><td>2021-05-13 10:34:38</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Rating:</b></td><td>Teen And Up Audiences</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Warnings:</b></td><td>No Archive Warnings Apply</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Chapters:</b></td><td>1</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Words:</b></td><td>1,766</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Publisher:</b></td><td>archiveofourown.org</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Story URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/works/28809417</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Author URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/users/Rei382/pseuds/Rei382</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Summary:</b></td><td><div class="userstuff">
              <p>1996 was a good year for Moaning Myrtle. She finally had a friend who confided in her his deepest secrets. But when she discovers a secret even he doesn't know about himself, he doesn't take it too well and all hell breaks loose.</p>
            </div></td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Relationships:</b></td><td>Draco Malfoy/Harry Potter</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series:</b></td><td>Drarropoly 2020 [8]</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Series URL:</b></td><td>https://archiveofourown.org/series/2025436</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Comments:</b></td><td>9</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Kudos:</b></td><td>48</td></tr>

<tr><td><b>Collections:</b></td><td>Drarropoly '20: Founders Edition</td></tr>

</table>

<a name="section0001"><h2>The Perfect Payback</h2></a>
<div class="story"><div class="fff_chapter_notes fff_head_notes"><b>Author's Note:</b><blockquote class="userstuff">
      <p>omg this one was really fun to write!!<br/>My 8th, I think? piece for the 2020 Drarropoly game!</p>
<p>I got Theme: Ghosts of Hogwarts<br/>Either include Moaning Myrtle OR include a theme of revenge in your story.</p>
<p>*A huge thanks to <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/SumthinClever/pseuds/SumthinClever"> SumthinClever</a> for her help bouncing ideas and beta work, <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/curlyy_hair_dont_care/pseuds/curlyy_hair_dont_care">Curlyy_hair_dont_care</a> for beta'ing this work and making me feel good about posting it thanks to her adorable little comments on my documents, and <a href="https://archiveofourown.org/users/crazybutgood">crazybutgood</a> for helping me deciding which way to go with this fic.</p>
<p>You've all been incredibly helpful and this fic would've definitely not be the same if it wasn't for you guys &lt;3</p>
    </blockquote></div><div class="userstuff module">
    
    <p>Haunting toilets was an unpleasant task. For the past fifty years, Myrtle mourned the fact that out of all the possible locations she could die at, she died in the second floor girls' bathroom. Besides the obvious discomfort of being constantly surrounded by toilets, and sewage, and the scents that went along with that (which, fortunately enough, she was unable to smell unless it was especially spicy), it seemed that most of the time the only pleasure that she <em>could</em> have had was taken from her when with time the rumor that she was haunting the girls’ bathroom on the second floor spread and fewer girls chose to use her toilets. If in the first few months after her death she could at the very least listen to the endless gossip of the castle, by the second year she only got the occasional visitor, and they were almost always on their own and in a very urgent <em>need</em> and not very keen on talking to her.</p>
<p>Which was nothing different than when she was alive, but it was still a bummer to discover that it was going to be her eternity.</p>
<p>She could be comforted by the fact that every year there was at least one lonely girl, or a curious girl, who’d come and talk to her on purpose. They never had their interest kept for too long, though. They’d show up at her bathroom for the first few months of the year, and then they’d stop, and if it so happened that they went there because they <em>had</em> to they’d find various excuses why they couldn’t stay and chat.</p>
<p>There were a few exceptions, here and there. There was that year when a red-haired girl came to talk to her about that strange diary of hers and Harry Potter came to talk to her a bit later, too, which was a refreshing change; and then there were her occasional visits to the prefects’ bathroom which were amusing. Usually more so when she was hiding and watching than when she showed herself and tried to initiate conversations. It seemed that most boys didn’t like it when they found out a girl ghost had been watching them taking a bath. How strange.</p>
<p>This year, however, there was another refreshing change. Even better than that year when the red-head girl came to talk to her almost every day for longer than any of her other so-called ‘friends’, or that ungrateful Potter, who only pretended to be interested in her when in reality he only used her to get information about that annoying Chamber of Secrets. As if she needed a reminder of how she died! But no, this time, this boy was her <em>friend</em>. He was just as lonely as she was. She recognized that when she watched him taking his baths in the prefect’s bathroom, and heard him talking to himself, just like she did. And when she mustered the courage to show herself and speak to him, he told her. And then he came to talk to <em>her</em>. He told her all kinds of stuff. He was a bit on the whiny side, even for her, but considering he was the first human being – dead or alive – who’d stayed with her for longer than two or three months, she wasn’t going to complain about him being too whiny. It surely didn’t hurt that the boy was by no means bad to look at. She could just stare at him while he talked about his daddy issues or his thing with the one he called ‘The Dark Lord’. Like now, for example.</p>
<p>“…and as if <em>that’s</em> not enough, now this stupid Potter – “</p>
<p>“Oh, Potter again?”</p>
<p>Being the only character in his stories Myrtle was familiar with, his name always brought her back to the conversation; which could be very distracting from her various fantasies about the blond boy. She had no idea why, but for some reason, Draco kept mentioning him.</p>
<p>“Well, yes, had you been <em>listening</em> to me you would’ve known that he messed with my plans again.” Draco looked distressed. It was not a look that suited him, though he did wear it quite often. Should she tell him he’d be much more attractive if he just smiled? “Stupid, hero-complex Potter who has to stick his bloody nose where it doesn’t belong.”</p>
<p>“I’ve been listening to you just fine!” she cried in her defense. </p>
<p>But really, what was he expecting? He kept going on about all that boring stuff – and he never even told her <em>exactly</em> what all that scheming was about, and she honestly did not care about some lord or another. If he wanted her to give him her full attention, he should be more specific about things. But the only thing he was specific about was Potter.</p>
<p>Potter this, Potter that. Potter’s friends, Potter’s hair, his eyes, his <em>nose</em>. It was never-ending! The only times she <em>ever</em> was <em>this</em> obsessed with someone was when she –</p>
<p><em>Oh</em>.</p>
<p>Well, that was an interesting turn of events.</p>
<p>“You’ve been talking about Harry Potter an awful lot,” she noted slyly. It was very hard to keep the smirk off her face.</p>
<p>Draco crossed his arms over his chest and frowned at her. “Well, it’s not my fault he’s following me and messing with all my plans.”</p>
<p>“He’s following you then, huh?” Myrtle floated around her friend, examining him. She definitely recognized some signs; she felt them all, before, when she was alive. Slightly flushed cheeks, a change in his heartbeat. Oh, yes, yes.</p>
<p>“That’s what I’ve been <em>telling </em>you.” Draco’s eyes followed her movement.</p>
<p>She could tell she was making him nervous. Oh, this was the most exciting thing that had happened to her since her death! She’d had girls talking about their romantic interests before, of course; but never boys, and never two such attractive boys having a crush on <em>each other</em>… well, she could only assume that Harry shared Draco’s interest if he was following him around.</p>
<p>“Did you think that there might be <em>another</em> reason you keep mentioning him?” she asked.</p>
<p>Draco narrowed his eyes at her. “’Another reason’? What exactly do you mean? What other reason can there be?”</p>
<p>Myrtle couldn’t hold back a giggle as she floated about. “Oh… I don’t know… maybe that you <em>like</em> him?”</p>
<p>“<em>Like</em> Potter?!”</p>
<p>Draco’s reaction was incredibly amusing. His pale face was bright red now, his eyes wide open. Oh, this was the most fun she had had in <em>ages!</em></p>
<p>“Why, yes!” she giggled again. “I think you do!”</p>
<p>“You have <em>no idea</em> what you’re talking about. There’s absolutely no way that I like him. I <em>hate</em> him.”</p>
<p>“Well, you do know what they say!” she teased. “You know – about love, hate, and thin lines?”</p>
<p>“The <em>only</em> thin line I can think of is your ugly mouth.”</p>
<p>“Oh!” Her eyes narrowed at him. Well, that wasn’t nice of him at all. “I am <em>not</em> ugly!” she cried, fighting the tears that threatened to burst out of her eyes. Well, if he didn’t want her help, she wasn’t going to force it on him! She didn’t need <em>him</em>, it was <em>he</em> who needed <em>her</em>! She was doing just fine before he showed up!</p>
<p>Myrtle was just about to turn and flush herself down the toilet when she heard a familiar voice a short distance from her bathroom door. She changed her course and glided towards the door, rather than to her favorite stall.</p>
<p>“What are you doing? You can’t leave this place – “</p>
<p>She completely ignored Draco’s words as she peeked through the door and peeked outside. Yes, just as she thought! What perfect timing. She could not have asked for a better way to make Draco pay for calling her ugly.</p>
<p>“Hey, Harry Potter!” she called maliciously at the approaching boy. He was walking with his friends, and he looked in a hurry – but she didn’t care. It was the perfect payback and she set her mind on doing that.</p>
<p>Behind her, she sensed Draco rushing at her. Too bad for him, she was intangible! There was absolutely nothing he could do!</p>
<p>“Stop it – what are you <em>doing</em> – “</p>
<p>“Shouldn’t have called me ugly!” she hissed back at him before looking at Harry again. </p>
<p>She saw him looking around in search of the caller. Then his eyes landed on her. Much to her dismay, she saw the look of annoyance on his face. Very well, then! Even better! Surely he wouldn’t be too happy about the news, either. He seemed to be saying something to his friends before turning towards her.</p>
<p>“Ah, hi, Myrtle. How are you doing?” he said nervously. “I – actually – I don’t have much time now, I’m on my way to class but surely I can come by later…”</p>
<p>Lies. All lies! She knew. She wasn’t stupid. “Don’t worry,” she gibed. “It won’t take long.” Draco was silent now. She could <em>feel</em> his fear. Oh, this was great! “I just wanted to tell you the latest news I heard!”</p>
<p>Harry exchanged looks with his friends. She could never really remember their names. “We’re really in a hurry now – “</p>
<p>“Draco Malfoy has a crush on you!” she jeered. </p>
<p>She sensed the chaos that followed even before it happened.</p>
<p>“<em>What</em>?!” Harry said with a confused face. His friends looked just as aghast.</p>
<p>“No!” Draco called behind her. He <em>definitely</em> tried to catch her now.</p>
<p>She floated back towards her toilet, around Draco, choosing the perfect position to watch them both as they discovered each other. She giggled uncontrollably. This was so wonderful! The look of utter shock! The horror!</p>
<p>“Oh yes, yes!” she called between her laughing fits. “He just confessed to me! He <em>loves</em> you!” she dragged the word.</p>
<p>“No, I did not – I do not – “</p>
<p>“There’s no need to hide it anymore, Draco, it’s all out in the open now! And with you telling me about how he <em>follows</em> you wherever you go I am sure he likes you back! Don’t you, Harry? Don’t you?”</p>
<p>“I – “</p>
<p>“Oh, this is splendid!” Myrtle gloated at the miserable looks on both Harry and Draco’s face. “Harry and Draco sitting on a tree,” she sang. “K-I-S-S-I-N-G!”</p>
<p>“SHUT UP!” Draco bellowed at her and took out his wand.</p>
<p>Now, not many spells could hurt her – but she already knew that this boy was entangled with the dark arts. This was too dangerous for a good laugh. She gave them both one last look, savoring their misery, and flew into her stall, flushing herself down the bowl.</p>
<p>This would bring her amusement for <em>months</em>, she was certain of it!</p>
<p> </p>
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